On Line Petition Accuses Mashpee Wampanoags of Reservation Shopping

TODAY's quote: "The Mashpee Wampanoag tribe does not have historical ties to the land in East Taunton as required by federal law. The tribe's final determination has already identified Mashpee, Massachusetts, as the tribe's historical land. This tribe is clearly reservation shopping." - Online petition.

Online petition opposes Mashpee Tribe's Land in Trust application
Mashpees accused of "reservation shopping"
By Walter Brooks

An online petition addressed to the Federal Department of the Interior, the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs has been circulated by East Taunton casino opponent Michelle Littlefield and was posted on change.org Wednesday. It already has 130 signatures.

It accuses the Mashpees of "reservation shopping", but its only value, however, is to gauge public opinion on the matter.

The petition's title, Reject & Deny Land in Trust & MA State Compact with the Mashpee Wampanoag Indian Tribe, says it all.

Supporters of the petition may add both their endorsements and signatures if the wish.

A Pocasset RI Native American, Raymond Two Hawks writes in the comments, "Taunton is Pocasset territory. Not Mashpee. Respect the rights of all Tribes, not just the federally recognized ones. "

Among the petition's 16 charges is that Governor Patrick is supporting the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe’s application for trust land despite the Carcieri decision, which eliminates the possibility of trust land for this tribe. Furthermore, Governor Patrick submitted an amicus brief to the Supreme Court of the United States supporting Governor Carcieri in limiting the authority of the Secretary of the Interior to create trust land for tribes recognized after 1934, raising some serious questions about why he is now supporting the application for trust land.

The charges also include that the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe has submitted a grossly inadequate and incomplete application for land into trust, and that there has been a repeated, ongoing lack of transparency by numerous local and state elected officials who have sworn to uphold the constitution and protect its citizen’s rights.

Read the Standard-Times story here. [below]

http://www.capecodtoday.com/news/EXTRA/2012/09/28/online-petition-chllenges-tribe-s-casino

Online petition challenges tribal casino

By Steve Decosta

sdecosta@s-t.com

September 28, 2012

 

A petition is circulating online opposing the agreement allowing the Mashpee Wampanoag to operate a state-sanctioned, federally-authorized sovereign casino in Taunton.

 

The petition, addressed to the federal Department of Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs and U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, was initiated by East Taunton casino opponent Michelle Littlefield on Wednesday. Posted on change.org and circulated by email, its only value is to convey the weight of public opinion.

 

Sympathizers may sign the petition electronically and can choose whether their signatures will be publicly displayed. They also may attach comments.

 

By 5 p.m. Thursday, the petition carried 115 electronic signatures.

 

The petition lists 16 points of opposition to the compact, specifically citing Gov. Deval Patrick's contradictory positions on this and previous tribal efforts to have land taken into trust for gaming.

 

"The Mashpee Wampanoag tribe does not have historical ties to the land in East Taunton as required by federal law," the petition states. "The tribe's final determination has already identified Mashpee, Massachusetts, as the tribe's historical land."

 

"This tribe is clearly reservation shopping," the petition contends.

 

Among the first signers of the petition was state Rep. Keiko Orrall, R-Lakeville, who said: "I am strongly opposed to this casino and the way the tribal compact was reached. It has not been an open or transparent process and due diligence did not happen with regards to mitigation and the effects on surrounding communities.

 

"I am in full support of this petition and applaud the residents who have rallied to ensure that their voices are heard."

 

The tribe met all the deadlines in the state's Expanded Gaming Act to be granted the exclusive rights to operate a casino in Southeastern Massachusetts. Its only remaining hurdles are BIA approval of the compact by mid-October and the taking of property into federal trust by the Department of Interior.

 

http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20120928/NEWS/209280334